| Checked Out: August Book Review |

Confession: I haven’t read too many self-help books in my thirty-year lifetime. In the past three years, however, my personal outlook has moved from “ignorance is bliss” to “holy sh*t, who/ what/ where am I?”

Things have changed quite a bit.

I wake up married, blissfully bound by “till death, do us part.” When the going gets tough, I need to figure it out. I now step on the scale and the Funfetti cupcake I had last night has weight, where it once was fluffy and airy and did not alter my body in any way, shape, or form. Some days, work is so stressful that contemplate how the hell I will be able to climb up the corporate ladder with kids on my hip.

Enter “Girl, Wash Your Face,” by Rachel Hollis.

I have been seeing this cover all over Instagram lately, and although I brought 10 other books with me on my 10-day vacation, I caved into the hype when I saw it on a shelf at Target this week. (#TargetStrikesAgain) Yesterday, I poured myself a cup of coffee and timidly put my toe in the water- after reading “You Are A Badass” I was unsure of how I would like this book- but I finished all 220 pages in a matter of hours. I want to go back and re-rate my Jen Sincero submission now, because if both girls were waiting in line to get picked for a kickball game and I was a team captain, Rachel would be the MVP in my corner.

It. Was. So. Good.

What a fresh, raw take on a self-help book. Rachel did not preach, but exposed herself in ways that I will forever admire. She basically writes, “Hey, my life has not been easy. I had a traumatic past, I am a work-a-holic, I sometimes catch myself putting self-care last, but life is beautiful and here is what helps me keep all sanity in check, all balls juggling in the air.” She talks sex after marriage and raising kids as a working mom and how she can maintain a lifestyle media empire while staying down to earth and family oriented. I love that. I can aspire to be someone like that.

Sure, Rachel highlights mantras, affirmations, vision boards and lists but for some reason, I am more into the idea of those things now, after she verified them, added her stamp of approval while explaining how they helped her achieve her goals. She is just so relatable, the suggestions don’t sound as hokey.

FINAL SCORE: 4

BEST FOR: Women. All Y’all.

NOT GOOD FOR: Self-Help Cynics

IF THIS BOOK/ AUTHOR WAS A HIGH SCHOOL STEREOTYPE: Rachel would be voted “Most Likely To Succeed.” This chick has her sh*t together.